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Culinary arts instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a culinary arts instructor. Culinary arts instructors usually study culinary arts, hospitality management, or business. 41% of culinary arts instructors hold a associate degree, and 40% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 1,289 real culinary arts instructor resumes to see exactly what culinary arts instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for culinary arts instructors are the Johnson & Wales University and the Johnson & Wales University.
There are also many online culinary arts instructor courses to help get the education required to be a culinary arts instructor.
There are certain culinary arts instructor certifications that you should consider. These culinary arts instructor certifications include ServSafe Alcohol and ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification.
What education do you need to become a culinary arts instructor?
What degree do you need to be a culinary arts instructor?
- Associate, 41%
- Bachelor's, 40%
- Master's, 7%
- Diploma, 4%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a culinary arts instructor?
- Culinary Arts, 48%
- Business, 9%
- Other Majors, 30%
Most common colleges for culinary arts instructors
| Culinary arts instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Johnson & Wales University | 33.76% |
| Culinary Institute of America | 27.78% |
| University of Phoenix | 3.85% |
| The Art Institute of Atlanta | 2.99% |
| Florida International University | 2.99% |
Best majors for culinary arts instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Culinary Arts | 48.2% |
| 2 | Hospitality Management | 9.3% |
| 3 | Business | 9.0% |
| 4 | Health Care Administration | 4.1% |
| 5 | Management | 3.9% |
Best colleges for culinary arts instructors
The best colleges for culinary arts instructors are University of Southern California, Boston University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A culinary arts instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for culinary arts instructors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become culinary arts instructors.
1. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
6. University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,000
Enrollment
25,973
7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. Baker College
Owosso, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$9,800
Enrollment
8,319
20 best online courses for culinary arts instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for culinary arts instructors
The most affordable schools for culinary arts instructors are USF Sarasota-Manatee, baruch college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.
If the best universities for culinary arts instructors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for culinary arts instructors.
1. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for culinary arts instructors
The hardest universities for culinary arts instructors to get into are University of Southern California, Boston University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for culinary arts instructors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for culinary arts instructors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Brandeis University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
31%
SAT average
1,398
10. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
Admissions rate
30%
SAT average
1,339
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for culinary arts instructors
The easiest schools for culinary arts instructors to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, holy names university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a culinary arts instructor without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for culinary arts instructors.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
5. Grand View University
Des Moines, IA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,060
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
8. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
9. Lewis-Clark State College
Lewiston, ID • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,009
10. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
Average culinary arts instructor salary by education level
| Culinary arts instructor education level | Culinary arts instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $43,792 |
| Doctorate Degree | $49,596 |
Culinary arts instructor education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025